Objectives
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics Program covers the activities of the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics (NCATSIS), the development and conduct of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander surveys, and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander statistics produced by the ABS. NCATSIS has responsibility for leadership and coordination of national statistical activity about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, both across the ABS and more broadly. This includes consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and working in collaboration with a range of government and non government agencies to ensure relevance of its statistical program.

NCATSIS undertakes and reports on analyses of data on topics of major social significance. NCATSIS plays a role in data development, and implements an Indigenous Community Engagement Strategy (ICES) to facilitate the return of information to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations and maintain dialogue on data collection and use.

The key elements in the program include: the development, conduct and dissemination of results from the six-yearly National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) and the six-yearly National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS); enumeration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the five-yearly Census of Population and Housing; and production of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates and associated life-expectancy estimates following each Census. The main clients of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics program are government agencies, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations, and research institutions.

Outputs
The main outputs of the program are:

products from the Census of Population and Housing, such as Population Characteristics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (ABS cat. no. 4713.0)

products from surveys such as National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (ABS cat. no. 4715.0) and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (ABS cat. no. 4714.0)

reports on statistical research and analysis for a range of audiences (government, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities, researchers and the general public), including The Health and Welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (ABS cat. no. 4704.0)

statistical leadership to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander statistics on population, mortality, health, housing, community services, education, employment, and law and justice;

provision of subject matter expertise to other areas of the ABS conducting data collections, or analysing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander data

coordination and promotion of improvements in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander statistics from administrative collections

prioritisation and coordination of the Indigenous Community Engagement Program.

Developments
The main medium-term developments in the program are to:

deliver data quality improvements for the Census of Population and Housing and key administrative data sets as agreed in the Council of Australian Governments’ National Indigenous Reform Agreement (Schedule F) – ongoing to 2013

develop, conduct and disseminate results from the 2014 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey – due 2015

continue to strengthen the ICES to build stronger relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; to increase their statistical capacity and manage provider load on communities – ongoing

support work on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander statistics in the broader ABS work program including the updating of population estimates, projections and life expectancy following the 2011 Census, and initial work on defining and measuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business activity – ongoing

work in collaboration with clients to ensure informed use of ABS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander statistics, including those required for performance monitoring of Council of Australian Governments’ reform initiatives, the Report on Government Services, Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework – ongoing.

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